The earthquakes are located on the Blanco Transform Fault, not the Cascadia Subduction area, according to officials at the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network.

The transform fault zone runs northeast off the coast of Oregon in the Pacific Northwest of the United States which runs between the Gorda Ridge to the south and the Juan de Fuca Ridge to the north. The latter are linked to the very dangerous and overdue Cascadia Subduction Zone.